The Mary Tyler Moore Show (also known simply by the name of the show’s star,Mary Tyler Moore) is a television sitcom that aired on the CBS network from September 19, 1970 to March 19, 1977. The program was a television breakthrough, with the first never-married, independent career woman as the central character Mary Richards). It has also been cited as "one of the most acclaimed television programs ever produced" in U.S. history. Critics gave it high praises ,receiving Emmy Awards for Outstanding Comedy Series three years in a row (1975–77), and continued to be honored long after the final episode aired.